split-rail

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Tanit

#426391 Tue, 02 Oct 07 10:02 PM

Hi,
I'm reading "A Sand County Almanac", written by Aldo Leopold (AmE, 1950s). I have some problems with the following sentences, where "split-rail" is being used. Before posting here I looked for "split-rail", of course, and I've learnt it's a kind of fence. However, I still don't get what it means in these sentences.

It seems that split-rail and man-earth experiences have zero or plus values, but that ethical experiences may have minus values as well ... The pioneer period gave birth to two ideas that are the essence of split-rail value in outdoor sports. One is the 'go-light' idea, the other the 'one-bullet-one-buck idea'.

The net trend, however,is clearly toward more and more mechanization, with a corresponding shrinkage in cultural values, especially split-rail values and ethical restraints.

Thank you in advance!

Tanit

Joined on Mon, Jul 31 2006

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

Senior Member (1,596)

... e quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle (...and thence we came forth to see again the stars) -- D. Alighieri

Marius Hancu

#426452 Wed, 03 Oct 07 02:37 AM

http://tinyurl.com/2js3rz

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Forum Guru (11,252)

khoff

#426662 Wed, 03 Oct 07 03:53 PM

Marius, your link explains split-rail fences. The original poster already knew about split-rail fences, and that doesn't help explain the use of "split-rail values" in the quote from "Sand County Almanac." I have no idea what the author meant -- when I googled "split-rail values," I was referred to this thread! -- but I don't think further explanation of split-rail fences helps.

khoff

Joined on Sun, Mar 6 2005

Denver, Colorado, USA, Earth

Advanced Member (2,392)

Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert)

Feebs11

#426730 Wed, 03 Oct 07 06:06 PM

I suppose it could be a colourful metaphor for rural values.

Feebs11

Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006

Pre Guru (4,606)

Metaphors

Tanit

#426792 Wed, 03 Oct 07 10:25 PM

Khoff wrote:
... doesn't help explain the use of "split-rail values" in the quote from "Sand County Almanac."

Thank you, Khoff, that's exactly my problem!

Feebs11 wrote:
I suppose it could be a colourful metaphor for rural values.

Thank you too, Feebs. I guess it might be.
I'll go on reading ... maybe at the very last page I'll find a definition Smile [:)]

or maybe somebody will add their thoughts here Smile [:)]

Tanit

Metaphors

Grammar Geek

#426800 Wed, 03 Oct 07 10:54 PM

Usually, I think a post that says "I don't know" isn't very helpful - well, I still think it's not helpful - but it should serve to comfort you that it's not due to a lack of English skills that you're confused! I have NO idea what that means.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Forum Guru (14,497)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Clive

#426840 Thu, 04 Oct 07 02:40 AM

Hi guys,

After looking at the context, I'll offer a wild guess. Do you think that 'split-rail' may be an intentional or unintentional mis-spelling / distortion of the word 'spiritual'?

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

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El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Spelling

khoff

#426842 Thu, 04 Oct 07 03:20 AM

Well, this is weird. The whole passage sees so obscure to me, I thought I'd find it in the book and see if it made nay more sense in a broader context. I went to Amazon to "search inside" Sand County Almanac. It did not find any instances of the phrase "split-rail." I searched for many other phrases in the quote posted here, and could not find the passage that Tanit quoted. Mysteriouser and mysteriouser. (No, "mysteriouser" is not really a word.)

Clive, if you think "split-rail" might be a mangling of "spiritual", what do you make of "man-earth experiences"? (Maybe "man-eating pier rats"?)

(I don't mean to make fun of your idea -- I suppose it's possible that the author used "split-rail" as some metaphor for "spiritual," but it still doesn't make much sense.)

khoff

Metaphors

khoff

#426846 Thu, 04 Oct 07 03:47 AM

Okay, here we go. I went back to Amazon and searched inside a different edition of the book. A couple of pages before the passage quoted, the author says "First there is value in any experience that reminds us of our distinctive national origins and evolution . . . for lack of any other short name, I shall call this, in our case, the "split-rail value."

So, it's really just a specialized us of the term that the author made up, to refer to reminders of American social history. He's just using "split-rail" (like the fences) as a symbol of American history and culture. (Sorry, Clive, nothing spiritual about it!)

khoff

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